Christian Running Groups

Dear All,
Does anyone know of any Christian running groups in the U.K?
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Comments

  • Hi Mike,

    I posted a message on the forum some weeks ago about Saturday races which offered an encouraging amount of comments.

    I presume you are a Christian by your enquiry. I am a Christian too. I do not know of any running groups but I know of an organisation called Christian in Sports who might be able to provide more information. Do you by any chance live in Bedfordshire (Harpenden/Redbourn/Luton)area, maybe we can form one ( it has to start somewhere!)
  • Hello Brethren

    Thanks for starting this thread Mike. I would certainly like to meet and train with more Christian runners. We ought to look into starting such a group as Neyo suggests. Lets see how many responses the thread gets...

    H-R
  • neyo
    in case you didn't see it in the old thread

    the Wolverton 5m is on Saturday 23 November
  • Many thanks guys for the response. I am the minister of the evangelical church between Mumbles and Swansea. Setting up some kind of Christian runners group would be a great idea. How should we go about it?
  • Hi All
    I am Christian living in Brussels. Many of my church - St Pauls Tervuren - will run the 20k in Brussels in May. I suppose you could say we are a Christian running group - but just for one race a year!
  • Hello,

    I am another Christian Runner, I get great support from all the congregation at my church. I love the Idea of a Christian running group.

    I always think back to the example of Eric Liddel, a man who ran for the Glory of God. I am not sure if my efforts, Glorify God, but they are the best I can do and I am sure that is what He wants.

    God Bless you all
  • Hi guys. Priest in Surrey. I think all my running shows about God is that God has a sense of humour!

    Just a serious thought - I worry a bit about 'clubs' with one commonality (running) looking for a second one (faith). Isn't it more important that we integrate with others, rather than stick together?
  • Sassie - good thought, it is important to integrate - few of us would be Christians today without Christian friends who spent time with us.

    Buuuuttt...like H-R I would love to train/run with other Christians too. Its fun to be together.

    Also to chat - Saturday races was a good thread, (provoked a lot of reaction too from everyone). Maybe there are Christian charities/initiatives we can support through sponsorship etc that you know.

    Can I have my cake and eat it?? (Not of course that as a runner I would eat cake :))
  • Hi, I'm new to this site but I'm a Christian runner too!! Fab to know there are more out there. I'm based in London - if you do meet up for a run in that vicinity, that would be fantastic!
  • I too am based in london so any details anyone has would be great
  • hie anyone

    just saw this old thread and thought maybe it needs to be rivived. Any running christian out there?? Met really nice running christian from USA while doing the great wall of china marathon, hence thought UK need something similar

  • The majority of our church will be at the Harvel 5 - half of us racing, the other half spectating. That's a Sat pm race.

    This time of year is good for racing with the 2 May bank holidays. We did Hildenborough on the first one and are doing Hatfield Broad Oak on this one.

    We'll take a Sunday off for "big deal" races, but not many.

    There is some talk at church of setting up a running club - church run, but open to all. It may happen, it may not.
  • Hi all. Yes, let's get the thread going again.

    Must "dash"... got some sermon preparation to do for tomorrow!

    SBS
  • I think Sassie's earlier point is a good one, that it's a better idea to 'mix' than to only spend time with other Christians. An online chat / club could be a useful way to get the best of both worlds.

    I've started going to a friend's church which has its main service in the evening, on days when i can't make it to Meeting for Worship [Quaker] in the mornings 'cos of races. This has actually been really interesting and helpful to me, in terms of meeting more people and being exposed to a wider range of ideas.
  • HelegantHelegant ✭✭✭
    Adding my name to the list (ordinand in Herts), and about to suggest to some folks in my church that they come out running with me. Not quite what you had in mind when you started this thread :-)

    btw, I'm in the M1 area, within easy reach of Redbourn (used to do reps at Hemel with Nick and some other guys from here), and one of my colleagues is an ordinand at a church in Geneva - will ask her next weekend if she knows Swiss Bobby...
  • HelegantHelegant ✭✭✭
    also btw...

    Dublin Mara is usually on a Monday
  • What about Agnostics, with Christian spouses?
  • big david

    what are you talking about
  • Well Mrs Big D is a member of ourlocal Baptist Church.
    I am an agnostic, but I sing in one of the groups once a month in the morning. Which means I sometimes have to choose between racing or singing.


    I am trying to convert the church members to r*nning, but it is an uphill struggle.

    Mrs BD has been known to jog occasionally.

    I was interested to learn of the existance of this thread, as religion is something I have not seen mentioned much on the forum.
  • IF people want to form a Christian running club of some sort that's fine, and I don't want to knock it, but I'm not quite sure what it would achieve. It might even alienate non-christian runners. If you're the only runner at your church you might find another Christian to train with if that'what you're looking for, and that would be great. I find it's a good time for a chat with others from the church when we sometimes train together (as long as we don't go too fast!)

    Generally I agree with those who say that we should be part of ordinary secular running clubs. (My nickname at the club is 'Vicar', but i'm not.)
    It's nice to meet on Sundays with friendly, like-minded, non-judgmental people who encourage each other. But it's nice to go to church as well!

    I find It is difficult to get the balance right between going to races and going to church. I don't do nearly as many races as most people in the club - but then for some of them running and the club are the most important thing in their lives.

    It is a shame there aren't more races on Saturdays but I don't think we should beat ourselves up about missing church sometimes. There is a danger we can be too 'religious'and legalistic.

    Our church members and relatives had 20 runners at last years Swindon Half Marathon and this, I believe, enhanced our fellowship. The Bishop of Swindon, Lee Rayfield, ran as well - so it must be O.K! (I partly wish he hadn't 'cos beat me - 1.46).

    I will be interested to see how this thread progresses.









  • AeschylusAeschylus ✭✭✭
    Hi all! Just checking in as another Christian runner, in Gloucester.

    I agree with Simmo's post above. I don't mind missing church once in a while for an important race, but try to get to the evening meeting if I do. I certainly wouldn't expect my family (husband and 4 kids) to miss church and Sunday school as a general rule...but woe betide them if they are not there for my first marathon in October!!!

    Good to know you are out there! Do you think there will be (injury free!!) running in heaven?!!

  • have you been to the other thread "running christians" it raised a lot of issues about christian and running and how it affects them. mostly running on sunday mornings is an issue.

    I think that you don't necessarily need to run with christian, for starters there is only a few of us. Don't mean to sound cynical but People act like you smell when you tell them you are a christian. I have spoken to a few people during races and the moment i say i am a christian they seem to disappear, run faster. (I suppose that works as a stimulant for none christians;-)

  • I think it actually would be a good idea to organise a christian race or social, which could meet twice a year or once a month or something like that. I don't know I am just bluburing.... It anyone could organise it
  • There used to be a "Churches 10K" past my own back garden - the old "Lordswood 10K" held in reverse, but it disappeared about 5 years ago. That was usually on a Sunday afternoon - between the morning and evening services!

  • those are the kind of races that will be great for church goers. do you know who used to organise it?
  • That sounds like the kind of thing that churches could organise.
    It could be a fund raising event, as a lot of independant races are, plus a spot of out-reach.
    Hey! perhaps there could be a church based series across the country, like the RFL.
    It would need a name:
    The God-Speed races perhaps.

  • More races on Saturdays are called for, methinks. That'll keep us from breaking the fourth commandment.
  • It strikes me that it might be quite a good way of raising much-needed funds for churches - and if the congregation could be persuaded to do the marshalling, even the church-based runners could take part. How often do we have to marshall our own local race because if we don't, nobody else will?
  • We have considered starting a church running club - open to all, but organised by the church. Will let you know if it happens.

    SBS - the issue is clashing with church NOT the 4th commandment. THe law ended with the death of Christ (Rom 10:4; Heb 7; Gal 3 et al).
  • Mark 2:27

    Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

    Said by Jesus after he and the disciples worked on the Sabath by picking grain in a field.

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